Green Brewery of the Day: Mother Earth Brewing in Kinston, North Carolina

A name like Mother Earth Brewing demands that a ribbon of green run through
every aspect of our company. Owners Stephen Hill and Trent Mooring say it
was easy to build a first-rate brewery while staying true to their name.
Mooring explains, "Being green can be easy, and making simple, educated
product decisions during our design phase was critical to our overall
objective of a low-impact brewery." He adds that "research and education
will continue to be key elements" in deciding what green technologies to
implement in the future. Curious about what dear old Mother Earth may be
smiling about? Here's a snippet of what we've done to make her happy.

It all began with selecting the building that would house the brewery. After
much investigation, we found just what we were looking for, right here in
Kinston, NC: a beautiful old building, located in a downtown area that's excited
about revitalization. Rather than construct a new building, we envisioned
renewing the old, uncared-for brick structure with the spirit of mother earth
herself. We dove into a thorough study of environmentally friendly construction
material. Less than a year later, we reached their goal. Various building
materials color the brewery green from top to bottom.

A six-kilowatt solar array stands on the roof as a tribute to the authority of
that great star we orbit, known as the sun. Blue jean insulation, a 100%
recyclable product, was used to insulate the walls. In addition to being a
recyclable product, it also has outstanding sound barrier qualities. Soy-based
spray foam insulation protects the second story ceiling. Low volatile organic
compounds paint covers the walls. The flooring wasn't ignored, either. Mother
Earth Brewing's corporate offices will sport eco carpet partially made from
renewable resources. Eco flush valves on toilets know just the right amount of
water needed for "the job" and reduce water needed for flushing by 30%. Eco
faucets in both bathrooms offer an unimaginable savings in water compared to
conventional faucets. A state-of the-art tankless water heater heats water on
demand, instead of using needless energy to keep hundreds of gallons of water
heated at all times.

Mother Earth Brewing employs green brewing procedures as well. One example
grabbed the interest of local farmers. Rather than send spent grain used in the
brewing process off to the landfill, it is given to local farmers as top quality
feed for their animals-a win-win for all involved. Our celebrated "hop project"
resulted in 25 hop rhizomes penetrating the soil right here in Kinston. Mother
Earth evidently gave her nod of approval, as the first growing season offered
unfathomable growth, far exceeding expectations. Soon, locally-grown hops will
infiltrate our beer.

Mother Earth Brewing's specialty tap handles, coming to your favorite watering
hole soon, are made from bamboo. Brew Master Josh D. Brewer even gave up driving
four wheels, and now peddles two, riding his bike to work each day instead of
driving. While we're thrilled with our progress so far, our quest to please
Mother Earth is far from realized. Stay tuned, we'll keep you up-to-date.